ISTANBUL
Missiles struck a US-linked facility in Bahrain on Saturday amid escalating tensions in the region as Iran prepared for retaliation after a joint Israel-US attack.
Bahrain’s National Contact Center said the service center affiliated with the US Fifth Fleet came under a missile attack and that further details would be provided later, urging residents to follow official instructions and rely on verified sources.
Smoke was seen rising in the Juffair area, which hosts a US naval base.
In Qatar, a senior official said the country intercepted an Iranian missile using the Patriot defense system. Al Jazeera quoted a Defense Ministry source as saying that “an Iranian missile was intercepted using the Patriot system.”
The United Arab Emirates, meanwhile, announced a temporary and partial closure of its airspace as a precautionary measure, according to the Emirates News Agency (WAM).
Syria’s General Authority of Civil Aviation said southern air corridors would be closed for 12 hours starting at noon local time to ensure flight safety.
Kuwait’s civil aviation authority also announced the temporary closure of the country’s airspace.
The Jordanian army said its aircraft were conducting routine aerial patrols to safeguard the kingdom’s airspace.
Meanwhile, sirens sounded in several areas across Jordan, and the Interior Ministry issued guidance to citizens on how to respond to the alarms and what to do if foreign objects fall within the kingdom.
Israel launched an attack against Iran early Saturday under the name ‘Lion’s Roar,’ declaring a “special and immediate” state of emergency across the country.
US President Donald Trump later said the US also began “major combat operations” in Iran.